1. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates to the determination of the volumetric output of the left ventricle of a person's heart per beat, known as stroke volume (SV) (mL), and, the volumetric output of a person's heart per minute, otherwise known as the cardiac output (CO) (L/Min). More particularly, this invention relates to the determination of SV and CO by transbrachial electrical bioimpedance.
2. Background Information
All methods, apparatus and inventions related to the measurement of SV/CO by the electrical bioimpedance method have heretofore been implemented either by the transthoracic method, also known as transthoracic or thoracic electrical bioimpedance plethysmography (or cardiography), or by total body (whole body) electrical bioimpedance plethysmography, also known as whole body electrical bioimpedance cardiography (Moshkovitz Y, et al. Curr Opin Cardiol 2004; 19:229-237). Apart from a velocimetric method and apparatus described by Bernstein et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,438 B2), all prior art assumes a plethysmographic origin for the measured impedance change with respect to time (ΔZ(t)), and its peak rate of change (dZ/dtmax), coinciding with each beat of the heart (Moshkovitz Y, et al. Curr Opin Cardiol 2004; 19:229-237). The plethysmograghic-based transthoracic SV equations used clinically basically comprise two methods; they are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,438 B2, and are known as the Nyboer-Kubicek equation (Kubicek equation) and the Sramek-Bernstein equation. The deficiencies of the method and apparatus invented by Bernstein et al., disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,438 B2, include the following:                1. A volume conductor, Vc, which underestimates the intrathoracic blood volume (ITBV) by approximately 15-20%        2. The implementation of a square root function for heart rate (H.R.) frequency (i.e. √f0=1/(TRR)0.5=(H.R./60)0.5) which is superfluous and unnecessary.        3. A best method in the preferred embodiment for determining left ventricular ejection time, Tlve, is not disclosed.        4. A best method in the preferred embodiment for determining point B is not disclosed        5. A best method in the preferred embodiment for determining dZ/dtmax, based on the accurate determination of point B, is not disclosed        
There are numerous drawbacks to the current methods and apparatus used for measurement of the transthoracic electrical bioimpedance stroke volume parameters. What is needed is an alternative approach to the transthoracic electrical bioimpedance determination of stroke volume; specifically, an alternative site for signal acquisition, and better methods to measure the independent variables comprising the stroke volume equation.